We tested the Silentnight Body Support Pillow but is it too bulky to be comfortable?

The Silentnight Body Support Pillow is a versatile pillow that can be used in a variety of positions during pregnancy, breastfeeding and beyond. While a tad on the bulky side, it's been designed by the sleep experts at Silentnight to be cosy, comfortable and offer complete body support. 

Whether sleeping or relaxing, this medium-firm pillow can be used in lots of different ways and that flexibility is one of the things we love most about it. From relieving pregnancy-related pain in your hips, neck and stomach to supporting you while nursing or resting in bed, this pillow will keep you supported and comfortable. 

While we don't consider it to be one of the best nursing pillows you can buy (that's because it hasn't been designed solely with that in mind), we do feel it provides a good amount of comfort for expectant mothers and can be used to give you additional support when feeding. 

Price and availability

"This pillow is there for the long haul so it's a really worthwhile investment for the price," says Victoria. And we have to say, we couldn't agree more. Given that you'll be able to continue to use this pillow well past pregnancy and nursing, it's incredibly budget-friendly and the medium firmness it offers is going to be just right for most people. 

Silentnight is renowned for making products to suit all kinds of sleepers, and this full-body size pillow is just the right length for mid to late pregnancy — plus if you're after ongoing support for your back and neck postpartum, you'll find this pillow does that job nicely. 

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Design and features

Dimensions: 147 x 48cm | Age: Pregnancy and beyond | Material: Microfibre outer and hollowfibre inner

First things first — we love the simple and supersized design of this pillow which enables it to be used in a multitude of ways. Offering support for your back, hips, neck and stomach, it helps to relieve the pain commonly associated with pregnancy, and it can also be used for nursing or watching TV on the sofa or in bed.

We're also huge fans of how huggable this pillow is! Give it a squeeze and you'll be amazed at how much it relieves the pressure on your shoulders, or place it between your knees to aid spinal alignment and relieve lower back pain. 

The pillow comes with a machine-washable, fitted soft-touch microfibre pillowcase for extra protection, so keeping it clean and fresh is super easy. "You don't have to wrestle to get a cover on if you're heavily pregnant or postpartum and feeling a bit sore or holding a baby," explains Victoria.

However, there's no getting around the fact that this is one big pillow! Large and bulky, it's not the easiest to store away and it takes up a lot of space on the bed. Plus, we won't lie, at 4ft 8in in length, it almost feels like you have an extra person in bed with you and at 3.5kg, it's quite heavy to carry around.

But, while it is quite mammoth, you do need the extra support when you're pregnant — particularly towards the end — so from that perspective (and given it can serve an array of different uses postpartum) you may well find it earns the space it takes up in your bedroom. 

"It's a bit unwieldy in size compared to most pillows on the market, but the support it provides is well worth it for being so comfortable and its neutral design means you'll want one for every room in the house," says Victoria.

How we tested

• Used the pillow on an ongoing basis postpartum
• Put the pillow to good use in a variety of situations, including sleeping, relaxing and nursing
• As well as considering things like comfort and support, our tester also looked at the versatility of the pillow, including its look and feel, and how easy it was to keep clean

Things you won't find on the box

Crafted from soft quilted microfibre and filled with squishy hollowfibre, the Silentnight Body Support Pillow comes with a dreamy microfibre pillowcase resulting in a pillow that leaves you feeling like you're snoozing on a cloud. 

One thing that's really worth highlighting is the versatility of this pillow. Yes, it's great for pregnancy and postpartum nursing and relaxing, but its use extends well beyond that. 

Keep this pillow on hand well beyond pregnancy and birth and you'll find that it can provide anyone in your family with huggable sleep support and extra comfort when sitting up in bed. 

Ideal for helping to relieve aches and pains, you'll find the multiple uses it offers (not to mention its dreamy hotel-like feel) make this pillow an outstanding budget buy. 

Who's it best for

The wonderful thing about this multi-purpose pillow is that it's suitable for just about everyone — which means you'll get a ton of use out of it that extends well beyond pregnancy and feeding. 

In terms of pregnancy, you'll find that this pillow gives a good amount of comfort and support for your knees and bump, and because it's squishy and flexible, you'll find it easy to switch sleeping positions during the night. 

When it comes to nursing we feel that the bulky size of the Silentnight Body Support Pillow makes it more suitable for use behind your back to help you sit in a comfortable position, with a traditional curved pillow used for the actual feeding itself.

This pillow is also a real superstar when it comes to relieving aches and pains, so once you're done using it, you may find other family members can reap the benefits of it too!

Need an alternative?

The Silentnight Body Support Pillow has a whole lot going for it — it's affordable, offers excellent support for your back, neck, hips and stomach, and can relieve pressure on the shoulders, aid spinal alignment and and relieve lower back pain. However, it's also large and bulky, and you may find it doesn't quite do the job when it comes to nursing your baby.

If you'd rather avoid having to buy two separate pillows and opt for something that ticks both boxes, the Dreamgenii Pregnancy Support and Feeding Pillow (£49.99 from Dreamgenii) is a worthy contender. It moulds comfortably around your bump, supporting your back and knees to leave you feeling like you're sleeping in a cozy and snuggly cocoon. Plus, when it's time to nurse, it easily converts into a feeding support pillow. 

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